NYC Org of Public Service Retirees To Rally Outside City Hall TODAY To Call For Passage Of Intro 1099, Celebrate Court Injunction

New York City Retirees Rally Outside City Hall for Intro 1099 by CM Barron & Celebrate the Court Granting an Injunction

New York, NY — Last week the New York County Supreme Court issued a preliminary injunction stopping the City from forcing a quarter-million elderly and disabled retirees off of their longstanding Medicare insurance and onto an inferior type of insurance called “Medicare Advantage.” This is temporary.

Councilman Barron knew retirees needed protection as well, and introduced a bill, Intro 1099, that would require the City to offer a Medigap plan – the same kind of policy they have had for almost 60 years. The City by law, is required to pay for health coverage to a specific level, and since Medigap plans only cover 20% of bills, the cost is minimal to the City and that cost is codified in statute.

Marianne Pizzitola, President of the New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees, states, “The Unions are sending emails to the Council telling them not to sign Intro 1099, after threatening them with pulling back endorsements and donations if they do. The Municipal Labor Committee refuses to admit they misused the Health Insurance Stabilization Fund that pays the premium for THEM. (it does not pay for Medicare Retirees’ health premiums). This is why they are selling Retirees off like cattle, gaslighting everyone that they are giving us a better plan, when it is inferior, solely to enrich themselves. They have lost their moral compass and forever damaging the labor movement.”

The Unions repeatedly tell the Council Intro 1099 is illegal and violates their collective bargaining. Marianne further stated, “The Council legislated Admin Code 12-126 after the Taylor and NYC Collective Bargaining became law, and it was amended dozens of times by the council. If it was illegal at any time, they never, in almost 60 years challenged it in court. Pass Intro 1099, and let them take it to a Judge. But if you want to hear the Municipal Labor Committee and Labor Chair of the Tri-Partite Committee, Alan Klinger say the Intro is not illegal by itself but would create ‘financial pressure’ on the City not to give the active workers money if they have to pay for retirees, just listen to our video.” “Stop the lies, protect retired labor, and tell the unions to use the one power they have, collective bargaining, to negotiate their way out of the hole THEY created,” she said. (see the 4:30 mark) https://youtu.be/TqIH7YZIdtA?t=270

The Retirees plan to Rally outside City Hall at 12:30 pm today, Thursday, July 13th, on Broadway by Park Place, across from the Woolworth Bldg. CM Barron will be there, and a few CM who recently signed onto the legislation.

Banner Image: New York City at night. Image Credit – Andreas Niendorf

Marianne Pizzitola NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees

On August 13th, 2021, a group of retirees from many different city agencies got together to form an organization to fight the impending changes to our healthcare. Two and half hours later, five people volunteered to form the Board and one became an advisor to the Board. In the next few weeks, we grew to five officers, four Trustees, five Advisors, started our Facebook group, filed for NYS incorporation, opened our PayPal fundraising account and were approved by the State to conduct business. Six weeks later we met our initial fundraising goal to pay the attorney's retainer and had filed our article 78 petition. Our Facebook page has over 18,000 members and we have an email list of almost 10,000 and both continue to grow. This is a major accomplishment! But we need to grow larger. We need to reach 250,000 retirees!